Britons race to beauty salons after Boris Johnson announced they can reopen TOMORROW
‘Do they think appointments just come out of thin air?’ Britons race to get seen at beauty salons after Boris Johnson announced they can finally reopen TOMORROW as fully booked clinics deal with huge waiting lists
- Beauty salons, spas and hairdressers to offer additional services from Saturday
- Facials, eyelash treatments and the application of make-up will be permitted
- Comes as a shot in the arm to the industry, with many left out of work for months
- But now customers are scrambling to get long-overdue appointments
Published: 05:11 EDT, 14 August 2020 | Updated: 09:06 EDT, 14 August 2020
Customers today are scrambling to book last-minute appointments after Boris Johnson gave beauty salons the green light to reopen.
The struggling industry was given a shot in the arm as the Prime Minister last night announced that salons could finally reopen this weekend.
After five months without treatments, customers are now racing to book long-overdue appointments for eyelash extensions, eyebrow threading, facials and waxing.
Many have hit out the PM for the eleventh hour announcement, complaining that they are now unable to reschedule treatments at such short notice.
Customers are now racing to book long-overdue appointments for eyelash extensions, eyebrow threading, facials and waxing
Though the move is good news for customers and workers alike, some salon owners have pointed out they are still unable to reopen as their towns remain in localised lockdowns
Though the move is good news for customers and workers alike, some salon owners have pointed out they are still unable to reopen as their towns remain in local lockdowns.
One customer tweeted: ‘Beauty salons can offer close contact services again from Saturday…why is this being announced on a Thursday night? Do they think appointments just come out of thin air?’
Another added: ‘I pushed my eyelash extensions appointment back to September earlier today.’
Tattoo studios, beauty salons, spas and hairdressers will all be able to offer additional services from Saturday, including front of face treatments such as eyebrow threading.
Facials, eyelash treatments and the application of make-up will also be permitted alongside Botox injection and beard trimming.
Business Secretary Alok Sharma said allowing these services would ‘give these often small, independent businesses a much-needed boost as we progress with our plan to kickstart the economy to protect jobs and incomes.’
However, workplaces must still remain Covid-19 secure, with regular cleaning and hand washing taking place.
The struggling industry was given a shot in the arm as the Prime Minister last night announced that salons could finally reopen this weekend
Skin care guru Caroline Hirons penned an impassioned letter to the Prime Minister asking for the government to open beauty clinics on August 15
THEATRES, CASINOS AND BOWLING ALLEYS – WHAT IS NEXT TO REOPEN UNDER LOCKDOWN?
Theatres, casinos and bowling alleys will be allowed to reopen in England from this weekend as the Government resumes its easing of lockdown restrictions.
From Saturday August 15 socially distanced audiences will be allowed back into indoor venues, while wedding receptions of up to 30 people will also be permitted.
Here is what will change in England:
– Can I go to the theatre again?
From Saturday audiences will be able to return to indoor theatre performances and music venues in England, so long as they adhere to social distancing.
Under the new Government guidelines, such venues will have to operate at a reduced capacity and limit ticket sales to ensure distancing can be maintained inside.
There could also be increased delays between performances as venues will be required to undertake ‘deep cleans’ before the next audience arrives.
Those on stage will also have to keep to social distancing rules.
– Are sports venues going to reopen?
The Government said it will resume plans to pilot a small number of sporting events in order to test the safe return of larger crowds.
This will begin with the final of the World Snooker Championship at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre on Saturday and Sunday.
If venues are able to successfully keep fans socially distanced, sports arenas could reopen to supporters from October 1.
– What about weddings?
Wedding receptions for up to 30 guests will be allowed from Saturday, but only in the form of a sit-down meal in a location that adheres to Covid-19 guidelines.
Ceremonies remain capped at no more than 30 people and should be kept ‘as short as reasonably possible’, the Government said.
– What will change for barbers and beauty salons?
Tattoo studios, beauty salons, spas and hairdressers will all be able to offer additional services from Saturday, including front of face treatments such as eyebrow threading.
However, workplaces must still remain Covid-19 secure, with regular cleaning and hand washing taking place.
– What else is going to reopen?
Casinos, skating rinks, bowling alleys, and indoor play areas will be allowed to open their doors to customers for the first time since the lockdown was imposed.
The Betting and Gaming Council has welcomed the move for England, but has urged Scotland and Wales to follow suit, claiming many casinos ‘are on the brink’.
Nightclubs, dance halls and sexual entertainment venues will remain closed.
– Wasn’t this due to happen earlier in August?
The lockdown restrictions were due to be eased on August 1, but a spike in coronavirus cases at the time resulted in them being paused for two weeks.
The move comes after the beauty industry issued a rallying plea urging Boris Johnson to reopen the sector as it continues to lose millions of pounds and countless job losses.
Skin care guru Caroline Hirons penned an impassioned letter to the Prime Minister asking for the government to open beauty clinics on August 15.
The letter, delivered to Downing Street on Wednesday night, called on the government to give the green light for salons to reopen as staff have been left for five months without an income.
Labour MP Carolyn Harris told MailOnline that the sector had been ‘forgotten’ amid the pandemic with workers ‘left adrift and financially in ruin’.
After a rise in Covid-19 infections at the end of July, and with less than 24 hours’ notice, Boris Johnson announced he was back-pedalling on his plan to allow a number of businesses, including the remaining parts of the beauty industry, to reopen on August 1.
He said he was ‘squeezing the brake pedal’ on lifting coronavirus restrictions further.
The letter, delivered to Downing Street last night, calls on the government to give the green light for salons to reopen as staff have been left for five months without an income
The PM said the scheduled August 1 return of casinos, bowling alleys and close contact services like beauticians would be pushed back to August 15 ‘at the earliest’.
Caroline Hirons’ Beauty Backed initiative calling for a government u-turn had the support of MPs, the British Beauty Council, beauty brands and retailers and makeup artists.
The beauty sector contributes nearly £30 billion annually to the UK economy alone with 370,000 people – or one in every 60 jobs – employed by the industry.
